The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for processing electronic coupons to be redeemed for products, especially products bearing symbols to be electro-optically read by hand-held readers.
Code readers are known in the prior art for reading various symbols such as bar code symbols appearing on a label or on the surfaces of an article. The bar code symbol itself is a coded pattern of indicia comprised of a series of bars of various widths spaced apart from one another to bound spaces of various widths, the bars and spaces having different light reflecting characteristics. The readers in scanning or imaging systems electro-optically transform the graphic indicia into electrical signals, which are decoded into information, typically descriptive of the article or some characteristic thereof. Such characteristics are conventionally represented in digital form and used as an input to a data processing system for applications in point-of-sale processing, inventory control and the like. Scanning systems of this general type have been disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,251,798; 4,369,361; 4,387,297; 4,409,470; 4,760,248; 4,896,026 and 5,600,121, all of which have been assigned to the same assignee as the instant application. As disclosed in some of the above patents, such systems may employ a hand-held, portable laser scanning device held by a user, which is configured to allow the user to aim the device, and more particularly, a light beam, at a targeted symbol to be read. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/305,463, filed May 6, 1999, is also hereby incorporated by reference.
The light source in a laser scanner bar code reader is typically a semiconductor laser. The use of semiconductor devices as the light source is especially desirable because of their small size, low cost and low voltage requirements. The laser beam is optically modified, typically by an optical assembly, to form a beam spot of a certain size at the target distance. It is preferred that the cross-section of the beam spot at the target distance be approximately the same as the minimum width between regions of different light reflectivity, i.e., the bars and spaces of the symbol.
In the laser beam scanning systems known in the art, the laser light beam is directed by a lens or other optical components along the light path toward a target that includes a bar code symbol on the surface. The moving-beam scanner operates by repetitively scanning the light beam in a line, pattern or series of lines across the symbol by means of motion of a scanning component, such as the light source itself or a mirror disposed in the path of the light beam. The scanning component may either sweep the beam spot across the symbol and trace a scan line across the pattern of the symbol, or scan the field of view of the scanner, or both.
Bar code reading systems also include a sensor or photodetector, which detects light reflected or scattered from the symbol. The photodetector or sensor is positioned in the scanner in an optical path so that it has a field of view which ensures the capture of a portion of the light which is reflected or scattered off the symbol. This light is detected and converted into an electrical signal. Electronic circuitry and software decode the electrical signal into a digital representation of the data represented by the symbol that has been scanned. For example, the analog electrical signal generated by the photodetector is converted by a digitizer into a pulse or modulated digitized signal, with the widths corresponding to the physical widths of the bars and spaces. Such a digitized signal is then decoded, based on the specific symbology used by the symbol, into a binary representation of the data encoded in the symbol, and subsequently to the information or alphanumeric characters so represented.
The decoding process of known bar code reading system usually works in the following way. The decoder receives the pulse width modulated digitized signal from the digitizer, and an algorithm, implemented in the software, attempts to decode the signal. If the start and stop characters and information between them in the scan were decoded successfully, the decoding process terminates and an indicator of a successful read (such as a green light and/or an audible beep) is provided to the user. Otherwise, the decoder receives the next scan, performs another decode attempt on that scan, and so on, until a satisfactorily decoded scan is achieved or no more scans are available.
Such a signal is then decoded according to the specific symbology into a binary representation of the data encoded in the symbol, and to the information or alphanumeric characters so represented. The decoded information may be stored or subjected to data processing.
Moving-beam laser scanners are not the only type of optical instrument capable of reading bar code symbols. Another type of bar code reader is one which incorporates detectors based on solid state imaging arrays or charge coupled device (CCD) technology. In such prior art readers the detector is typically smaller than the symbol to be read. Accordingly, image reduction is performed by an objective lens in front of the array or CCD. The symbol may be illuminated with light from a light source such as light emitting diodes (LED) in the scanning device, and each array cell is sequentially read out to determine the presence of a bar or a space. A code reading engine employing imager technology is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/096,578, filed Sep. 1, 1998, and assigned to applicant herein, and incorporated herein by reference.
It is known to provide multiple actuators in hand-held optical code readers. For example, a system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,098, uses a multi-position trigger switch in a hand-held laser scanner. The scanner is aimed at the symbol to be scanned during a first operational state in which an aiming pattern is emitted. Once the user had aligned the scanner properly with respect to the location of the symbol, the trigger switch is actuated again to put the device into a second operational state in which the beam is scanned across the symbol in the normal scanning or reading mode, and the symbol decoded. European Patent No. 0355355 describes a combination bar code reader and EAS tag deactivator, including an embodiment with a multi-position trigger.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,121, assigned to applicant, discloses, inter alia, a system for reading indicia such as bar code symbols having a scanner for generating a scanning light beam directed toward a symbol to be read; a first actuator manually displaceable form a first position to a second position for producing a first light beam for aiming or positioning the reader; and a second actuator manually displaceable from a first position to a second position for initiating a scanning beam pattern for reading the symbol. The actuators are independently operative of each other. A detector receives the reflected light from the symbol and produces electrical signals corresponding to data represented by the symbol. A graphical user interface simplifies system control functions.
The known readers and scanners are generally employed to identify a product involved in a sales transaction. Once the product has been identified, its price can be retrieved from a database in order to complete the sales transaction. Many industries, especially food retailers, have offered redeemable coupons as sales promotions to entitle the redeemers to discounts or refunds from the prices of the products being purchased. These coupons have typically been printed on paper and distributed in newspapers, magazines, mass mailings and like publications. Sometimes, they are simply made available in a retail store for a shopper to pick up the paper coupon and present it to a check-out clerk for redemption.
Recently, coupons have been made available on the Internet due to the relatively low cost of on-line distribution of coupons, as well as the capability of tracking the activity of users on the Internet and targeting the users with coupons that they are most likely to use. Such on-line coupons have to be printed out on the printer of each user and thereupon presented to a check-out clerk in the same manner as the paper coupons that were traditionally clipped from publications.
However, on-line coupons have inherent risks and are susceptible to misuse and fraud. Some coupons may be less readable and scannable depending on the quality of the consumer""s printer as compared to a professionally printed coupon. Many consumers"" printers print text in black and white, rather than in color, and many retailers are trained not to accept black and white coupons because of the fear that an authentic professionally printed, color coupon has been copied on a copy machine. Also, an on-line coupon may be easily fraudulently altered before it is printed, thereby decreasing the viability of on-line or Internet coupons.
There is a need, therefore, for a bar code reader, which is simply and inexpensively fabricated, which is easy to use, and which provides user access and feedback for a broad range of functions, especially coupon processing.
In keeping with these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of this invention resides, briefly stated, in a method of, and an arrangement for, processing an electronic coupon to be redeemed for a product being purchased in a sales transaction. A consumer is provided with a portable apparatus, typically a hand-held bar code symbol reader operative for electro-optically reading bar code symbols. The reader also has an on-board memory.
The electronic coupon can be read and stored into the memory of the reader by various means. For example, a printed symbol corresponding to the electronic coupon can be read by the reader and stored as coupon data in the memory. Digital coupon data corresponding to the electronic coupon can be downloaded from a server on the Internet, or from a host computer at the site of the sales transaction. Coupon data corresponding to the electronic coupon can also be manually entered by keyboard entry. The coupon data stored in the memory of the reader is downloaded into a memory of a transaction system, typically a host computer located remotely from the reader. The downloading is preferably performed by wireless transmission at radio frequency.
In use, a bar code symbol identifying the product to be purchased is read by the reader, and the identifying data is downloaded to the memory of the transaction system. The coupon data is then electronically matched with the identifying data at the transaction system. Once a match is made, the coupon is redeemed, and the adjustment to the purchase price is transmitted, preferably by wireless transmission, to the transaction site for the economic benefit of the consumer in order to complete the sales transaction.
Preferably, the coupon data includes a time stamp and an expiration date for the coupon. It is also desired if a customer identifier and/or a reader identifier is stored in the reader memory and downloaded to the memory of the transaction system, together with the downloaded coupon data and product identifying data. The electronic coupon, when printed out, has bar code symbols preferably encoded in the UCC/EAN-128 coupon extended code format, in which a second bar code symbol is printed to the right of the standard bar code symbol that identifies the product. The second symbol contains offer codes, household identification codes and expiration dates.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.